Refer to this style guidance to ensure we write consistently across suffolk.gov.uk.
Abbreviations
Avoid abbreviating words and phrases. They are harder to read and may sound confusing when using a screen reader. For example: write 'for example' in full rather than 'e.g.'
Acronyms
When first mentioning an acronym on any page, write in full with the acronym in brackets. For example, start by writing ‘Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH)'. You could then refer to 'MASH' for the rest of the page.
Addresses
When writing addresses use the format:
Suffolk County Council,
Endeavour House,
8 Russell Road,
Ipswich,
Suffolk,
IP1 2BX
However Suffolk County Council, Endeavour House, 8 Russell Road, Ipswich, Suffolk, IP1 2BX is acceptable.
Ages
Write decades using the format ‘1980s’, not ‘1980’s’, ‘80s’ or ‘eighties'.
When writing ages, use the formats 'The 21-year-old woman' and 'The woman is 21 years old'.
Camel casing
Use camel casing to make email addresses, hashtags and short URLs more accessible.
Camel casing is where the first letter of each word strung together in a sequence is uppercase.
For example, instead of donotreply@suffolk.gov.uk, write DoNotReply@suffolk.gov.uk.
Short URLs should be formatted like this: www.suffolk.gov.uk/ContentGuidelines.
This approach to formatting is more accessible for people using assistive technology, as their screen readers will recognise and read out words individually.
It's also easier to read generally. Remember that making content accessible and inclusive makes it more usable for everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Capitalisation
Capital letters make sentences harder to read.
Begin page titles with a capital letter and continue in lowercase. For example: 'Apply for a school place' not 'Apply For a School Place'.
Never write in all capitals; it looks like shouting. The exception to this is when using acronyms or initialisms, for example, ACS, DVLA or HMRC.
Dates and times
Use the date format ‘Thursday 16 October 2018’
Do not use a 24-hour clock - this requires extra effort for the user to 'convert' the time. Write '5pm' not '17:00'.
Write date and time ranges using the format 'Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm' not 'Mon-Fri, 9am - 5pm'
Be specific with dates. For example: 'Applications open on Monday 12 September' not 'Applications open next Monday'.
Hyphens
Examples of words on suffolk.gov.uk that should include hyphens:
- by-election
- co-ordinate
- in-house
- on-site
- in-depth
Words that shouldn't have hyphens:
- email
- ebooks
- ecommerce
- online
Italics
Do not use italics on suffolk.gov.uk.
Italics are harder to read online and can add tone to information which we want to avoid.
Money and fees
Write money in the format: £2.50; £250; £2,500, £25,000, £250,000; £2.5 million; £2.5 billion.
Numbers
On suffolk.gov.uk, always use digits unless you're starting a sentence with a number.
For example, write 'There are 3 ways to apply', but 'Three ways you can apply'.
This makes it easier for people to scan for numerical information.
The format for large numbers is 100; 1,000; 10,000; 100,000; 1 million; 1 billion.
Phone numbers
Write UK phone numbers in this format: 12345 123456.
Do not include an international dialling code, for example '+44'.
Quotations
Write quotations like this:
- The councillor said: “This is an example quote.”
- The councillor said he was “very happy” with his quote.
- The councillor said he’d give one more quote that was “great”.
When dividing long quotations into shorter paragraphs, use this format:
The fire officer said: I like giving example quotes too. It’s useful to know how to write quotations so I can teach others. I especially like quotes that continue onto three or more lines.
Semicolons
Do not use semicolons to separate two sentences. Use a full stop instead.
Semicolons are harder to read and may not be understood by users.
Singular and plural
Write collective nouns as singular entities. This includes companies, governments and other organisations or groups. For example ‘Suffolk County Council is’ not ‘Suffolk County Council are’.
Symbols
Do not use asterisks (*).
Do not use ampersands (&). For example, write 'Roads and transport' not 'Roads & transport'. You may use ampersands if it refers to the name of something for example B&Q.
Do not add exclamations (!). If you need to highlight important information use bold text for the relevant part of the sentence.
You can use the symbols for percentage (%) and the pound sign (£).
Units
Use metric units on suffolk.gov.uk.
If you need to use imperial units, provide a conversion to metric units. For example, 'The road is 10 miles (16km) long.'
Write temperatures in the format 'Today's temperature is 23C'.
Websites
When linking to a website use the format 'suffolkjobsdirect.org'. Do not include 'http://www.' prefix characters or any unnecessary slashes.
Write:
- website not web site
- webpage not web page
- webchat not web chat
